The present invention is directed to an interactive wireless home security system, utilizing wireless interactive programmable detectors to provide direct wireless communication to the police department and/or the fire department, when a dangerous condition is sensed.
Each year thousands of people die horrible deaths from fires in America. Eighty percent of these fires are residential fires. When undetected, these fires may lead to serious injury or death. Current home security devices are intended to get the attention of the occupants inside the home.
Burglary and fire hazard accidents are the leading cause of death in the US. Monitoring stations are sometimes used to monitor a home when the occupants are away. These monitoring stations are expensive,
The government has made it a law that all businesses have fire extinguishers and many other fire protection devices. But homes are not tied to this law. Most fires start from residential areas. More civilian deaths are from fire rather than car accidents. Yet, more emphasis is placed on car safety, than on home safety. It is far more expensive to repair damages caused by fire than it is to repair damages caused by car accidents.
Fire often occurs in places that are not easily noticed during the initial phase, when the fire is most easily controlled. The sooner a fire or burglar is detected, the more quickly the fire or police department can respond.
Statistics show that a burglary is committed some where in America every ten seconds. Only 16.5% of U.S homes have burglar alarms. The burglary rate in neighboring geographical areas often varies according to the residents age and lifestyles, the proximity to high crime areas, zoning regulations, and land use. The burglar is sometimes equipped to kill. Thus knowledge of the location of the burglar is essential to quick apprehension.
The interactive wireless home security detector disclosed herein, is designed to protect homes from burglary, fire, smoke, carbon monoxide poisoning, and forced entry. In an emergency, the interactive wireless home security detector is programmed to call the Police, Fire department, relatives, and/or the homeowner""s office or cell phones. The wireless home security detector communicates with other detectors when activated, and an alarm for the detected activity is enabled to alert the environment about such activity. The activated alarm will enable an inferred detector, which will emit rays to detect the presence of human body temperature in the area of the alarm. When a human body temperature is sensed, the alarm will stay on, to identify the location of the person. If the person moves from room to room, the alarm will follow the movement of the person to aid in locating the person. The interactive security alarm system is self monitoring, and designed to monitor all activities in the home, using digital wireless and line communication and a sensing means to transfer data from homes directly to the proper authorities. Detectors take pictures of any unauthorized entry, and broadcast a human voice response in addition to notifying authorities. Signs may be used to warn an unauthorized person of the presence of the security device.
The interactive system is programmable and monitors the entire house. Radio wave signals and/or microwave signals are used to communicate an alarm condition to the authorities. The microprocessor and sensors are installed in the system to allow the systems to communicate and recognize the unique identification codes of each sensor. A control panel touch pad is used to program the interactive security detectors. Batteries are used to energize the remote sensors. The receiver uses redundant, spatially diverse antennas that virtually eliminate the chance of missing signals. The interactive detecting system also uses phone lines and radio transmissions to send signals to the proper authorities. The reporter has a built in energy storage capacity that will allow it to communicate with the proper authorities, even if the home power is out. The sensors pick up signals when activated, and emit a radiant code that is energized by the radio waves or microwaves and absorbed by other sensors in the house. The radio frequency of the signals varies during use, to improve reliability.
The sensors are programmed with a unique identification code so that no two sensors within the range of the control panel have the same identity. A built in microprocessor controls intelligence, and includes sophisticated decoding capabilities that won""t allow signals from the wrong sensor to trip the alarm. The wireless security system won""t communicate with another wireless device such as cordless phone unless they are coded to communicate to each other. The system uses two antennas with xe2x80x9cspatial diversityxe2x80x9d for receiving signals.
In the learn mode, the reporter will automatically program each function introduced to it. Sensors can be added or deleted from the system to meet the need for an improved home security system.
Wireless sensors, when activated, will allow communication between the sensor and the reporter. The sensors have two basic functions; the first is to detect a change of state, and the second is to communicate or send a message about the change of state to various authorities. The messages sent by the interactive security detectors are very specific and are sent to selected receivers. The receivers include other motion detectors and fire alarms, and also include messages to the proper authorities. This system encodes information by modulating an electromagnetic wave, which radiates out in all directions from the transmitter""s antenna. Battery power empowers the transmitter antenna, and allows the sensors to propagate through space to reach the receiver antenna.
The interactive detecting device uses radio waves and/or microwaves as the communication medium, which is intended to incorporate human voice into the transmitted messages. When the coded signal reaches the receiver antenna, the receiver will then interpret and decode the received information, translate it into a message that is indicative of the danger, and passes the information and the location of the sensor through the reporter to the authorities, whether it is an intrusion, fire, medical, or environmental sensor.
The emitting code for each sensor is different. The sensors are programmed with unique coded sensor numbers, to avoid false activation.
The transmitter consists of a radio frequency oscillator that will generate the carrier frequency and also modulates to impose the message into the carrier frequency while the antenna emits or radiates the signal. The sensor will detect the environmental changes and also allows the transmitter to communicate these changes to the proper authorities.
An automatic controller controls the different signals transmitted from a burglar entering the home, or the existence of fire inside the home. The controller has a diode that is used for diffusion to allow the controlled circuit to be integrated. The semiconductor, which draws very little current from the battery, allows the free electrons to be drawn towards the positive potentials, permitting the resulting movement of the electron to drift each time there is a detection.
When smoke is detected, the charge carrier will repel each other from the areas of higher concentration to lower concentration to allow for a precise detection of the location of a fire. The low current will flow when sensing an intruder due to diffusion, to activate the alarm even without an applied voltage. Due to the diffusion, a potential difference will develop as the detector is activated. Since the receiver is programmed to only hear certain codes, false alarms will not be caused by radio signals from sources like garage doors or TV remote control, or airplanes passing overhead. The stay mode will allow the system to be on, but the occupants can move inside the protected area without setting the alarms off. When in the away mode, all the interior and exterior sensors will be on. With the no delay mode, the device will immediately be activated when any of the doors or windows are opened. When the perimeter detector is on, normal activities can continue inside the home, as long as the exterior openings are not opened. The device will provide optimum protection against loss of valuable property and home due to fire or burglar, by providing early warning to the various stations and inhabitants. All the various types of smoke detectors will emit a suitable code when activated.
An Ionization smoke detector is designed to protect particles of combustion, and the photoelectric smoke detectors generate a beam of light, which also detects cool smoke from mattresses or sofas when ignited by cigarettes.
Poisonous gasses can knock out inhabitants within three minutes or less when there is fire. If some one is knocked out, the passive infrared motion detector will pin point the exact location of the victim and make it possible for the fire department to rescue the said person. A pyro-sensor can also be used to sense body heat when monitoring a trapped person in case of fire or to sense the location of an intruder. An Ionization smoke sensors will detect particles of combustion. The Ionization smoke detector will provide a faster response to an open flame fire, Where as a photoelectric smoke sensor will generate beam of lights and if the beam is broken, an alarm will then be activated. This sensor detects cool smoke that is produced by cigarette burnt mattresses and sofas. This kind of smoke also contains carbon monoxide and can kill sleeping occupants before setting off the Ionization smoke detector. The present invention allows the detectors to network and stay interactive with other detectors in the home, including wireless phones and the like. The passive infrared sensors will count pulses from any fire alarm sensors and allow adjustment of its sensitivity to detecting any body heat that is trapped in the smoke. The glass mounted circuitry will analyze and detect the frequency of breaking glasses and communicates the exact location of the intruder by sensing body heat. The reporter has a systems console that acts as the brain of the interactive security detectors. The reporter listens for transmissions from sensors and activates the appropriate dialing code. With the smoke detector, the motion detector, and other detectors interacting, the burglar will know that he has been discovered and will not stay long in the home. The reporter will dial the police without the burglar knowing, and his body heat will always be monitored should the intruder try to hide. A perimeter alarm will sound before the intruder enters the house. If area alarms are installed in every room of the house, then entry will be detected as soon as it occurs. The interactive security detector uses radio waves, microwaves, or ultrasonic signals to detect any movement in the house and also to communicate to the reporter. The motion detector will detect motions by sending out signals and then it will analyze the signal that is reflected back by objects in the room. The signal operates on the same basic principles as radar or sonar detectors.
The interactive security detector will also discriminate against random motion that is created by winds or heating or cooling systems, and will set off when motion is progressive and not random. The passive infrared detector will respond to a heat source in the 98-degree Fahrenheit range, which correspond to the temperature of the human body. This will detect a person trapped in fire or smoke. The motion detector must progress across several detectors before the alarm is sounded. A sound detector looks for a certain amount of sound from breaking glasses, cracking wood, hammering on the lock, etc. Passive infrared (PIR) motion sensors, which work by detecting body heat inside and around the house, are adjusted to work on broad or narrow spaces. Motion sensors can also be aimed and masked to prevent a false alarm caused by pets, heat vents, and objects in the house. All the sensors are designed to network with each other. The sound sensors are design to hear specific frequencies such as those made by breaking glasses. The smoke sensor will detect smoke and sound an alarm. Radiant energy from the alarm will activate the infrared motion detector that will then monitor any body heat within a room. The smoke alarm will send a programmable fire alarm code from the electronic microprocessor to the microprocessor receiver. The infrared motion detector, upon receiving said code, will then be activated to monitor any body heat in each room. The rate of rise sensor which is used to detect sharp increase in temperature in areas where smoke or high temperature might occur naturally, such as the kitchen, furnace room, and garages. The home interactive security detectors can also control a freeze sensor, to detect ambient temperature drops, before serious damage occurs.
A wireless touch pad allows the user to control the interactive security detectors without having to go to any control panel or company control station. A speaker is built into the interactive security detector for human voice response. The touch pad can be coded to allow access to other systems, or to prevent unauthorized persons, or very young children, from operating the system. The homeowner can program the interactive device to increase or reduce the amount of security on the premises.
The burglar alarm and the fire alarm may be incorporated into a single housing to share electronic components and save cost.
The reporter contains a control panel and provides a central location where all unsafe activities are sent for immediate reporting. It contains the necessary circuits to analyze the emitted data from the detectors and also to communicate to the authorities. The reporter contains a terminal block for sensing devices, a relay to activate the communicator or dialing code, and the power supply to energize the system, and the microprocessor that analyzes all data received from the sensing devices before the law enforcement stations are properly informed.
The reporter also has an AutoDial that calls the police or fire department when the alarm is tripped. It may also be linked to direct phone wiring in a hard wiring system, or linked to the panel by radio in a wireless system. The reporter also has a battery back up which protects the interactive security detector against a power black out that can leave monitored homes unprotected. The battery is connected to the power supply to charge the battery to provide full energy when needed or as back ups during black outs. The reporter is preferably enclosed in a tamper proof enclosure to avoid easy access.
The motion detector will stop its alarm signal approximately two minutes after the burglar is no longer detected or when the fire temperature or smoke has been taken cared of. The microprocessor for the reporter will call a predetermined phone number each time any of the detectors are activated, with a standard vocal recording that would give a complete address of the home in question, whether it is a burglar or a fire based on the radiated code.